Reversal of Fortune at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

by Yiannis Damellos and Mars Strangelove Jr.

November 11, 2026

There is something almost Shakespearean about Hegseth's twist of fate. Pete fought hard to save his skin today and survived, with considerable help from both friends and enemies who, for their own reasons, helped keep him in place. Yet, on the very day he could have considered another battle won, amongst the many that he's lost, he found himself publicly reprimanded at Arlington National Cemetery, in a place where military discipline, dignity and respect are not optional courtesies but sacred obligations.

Now, Pete, as the country's top civilian defence official, responsible for overseeing the military establishment, should have known better. It does not look good for a man who gives lessons to his subordinates to experience such reversal of fortunes: after fighting so hard to remain standing, to be reminded, in front of an audience, that sometimes the fall begins not with a defeat, but with a moment of hubris. What goes up, after all, can come down.

JUST THE FACTS: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of his entourage were reprimanded by an Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, following a wreath-laying ceremony marking Veterans Day. 

• Hegseth had joined the group for a photograph when someone laughed, prompting the sentinel guarding the tomb to issue a sharp reminder of the rules governing the memorial.
• "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times," the sentinel shouted.
• According to CBS News, the group included Hegseth's advisers Patrick Weaver and Tami Radabaugh, his chief of staff Ricky Buria, and his wife, Jennifer Hegseth.

NOT A RHETORICAL QUESTION:  Does Hegseth, who has repeatedly emphasized military discipline, respect for tradition and the importance of proper conduct within the armed forces, know the rules governing one of America's most solemn military memorials?

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not an ordinary backdrop for a group photograph. It is a place of remembrance, guarded by soldiers whose duties demand exceptional discipline and respect. Shouldn't someone in the Defence Secretary's entourage have remembered that there is a time and place for everything? And shouldn't the man responsible for overseeing the military have needed no reminder at all?